36 ford/adam banks

I've been sick this entire week with the flu and high fever. I really haven't felt like I have the energy to do much of anything, so of course that leaves me to sit on the couch and listen to interviews. I came across an interview with a fabricator named Adam Banks. Adam works for Troy Trepanier at Rad Rides in Manteno, IL and they built the car you see above that just won the Grand National Roadster Show. The pics above are from before the car was fully finished as it sits today. 

This car and the interview have made me think back to seeing Motorcycle Mania for the first time as well as the early Rides shows and how I for the first time was consuming so much TV that involved seeing people build things and realizing that there is a level of craftsmanship that is beyond that of the average person. Think about the fact that before these shows, you would see images in magazines, but you really couldn't get a sense of how things were done until people started showing bits and pieces of the process. Those shows were responsible for a whole generation of people who wanted to make but that didn't necessarily equate to all of that making being at the highest level, but it got people engaged nonetheless. A few fabricators rise to the top and a few continue to develop their skill and achieve next level status. 

This car and the crew of a few people who built it are next level for certain! I had to put this here in my digital sketchbook because it is reminiscent of the Rodder's Digest cars that I used to drool over when Eric and I were into the hot rod stuff and building things together. This car is nuts! The fact that it starts from raw material and that every part is made from scratch is reason enough but then how it's all brought together is killer. I have to add that Adam who did the majority of fabrication on this car is more humble than most who are capable of this kind of work would typically be. He also understands that this work doesn't define who he is, which is extremely rare.

I place this here, because I need to remember that I need to be working on things that are fulfilling and that I can sink time into as it allows your skills to grow. At the same time I need to always make certain priorities are in place and ego is kept in check.